Absorbent articles of the above mentioned kind are known, which have longitudinally extending leak barriers alongside the absorbent structure. These leak barriers, also called containment or barrier flaps, have a free laterally inward elasticized side and a laterally outward side, wherein the elasticized side of the leak barrier is raised from the inner cover of the absorbent article. Such raised leak barriers help to reduce the occurrence of leakage of body exudates from the absorbent articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,145 discloses a diaper provided with raisable leak barriers, which in the crotch area of the diaper are adhered to the body facing sheet of the article at a location inwardly of the laterally outward side of the leak barrier, so that the raised height of the leakage barrier is less in the crotch region than in the front and back regions of the diaper.
US 2004/0127882 discloses a pant diaper provided with leak barriers having a laterally outward side that follows the contours of the leg openings of the diaper.
WO 97/29722 discloses a method of attaching a leak barrier to an absorbent article in a curved manner. The leak barrier has at least one edge parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the article and is bonded to the article along a juncture line that extends in a curved configuration with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the article.
JP 2002-058703 discloses a method of forming a diaper cover from a rectangular piece of material. Leg holes are cut inside the longitudinal side edges of the piece of material, which is then folded inwards along longitudinal folding lines crossing the holes, so as to create an inwardly directed leg contour in each longitudinal side edge. The inwardly folded portions are elasticized to form leak barriers having a lower height in the crotch area.
Absorbent articles having an improved comfort by narrowing the width of the area where the article is applied in the crotch of the wearer (crotch area) during use are known through a number of prior art documents, for example EP-A-1 384 459. A problem may occur when applying leak barriers to absorbent articles having a narrow crotch width, which is that the leak barriers, especially when not completely raised from the body facing coversheet of the article, may partly block the entry of body fluid into the crotch area of the article, which may lead to leakage of body fluid out of the article.